Breech-loading gun.



( No Model.)

' Patented Mar. 4, I902. G. S. LEWIS.

BREEGH LOADING GUN.

(Application filed Dec. 3. 1900.)

WHNEVSEES.

UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE S. LEYVIS, OF FULTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HUNTER ARMS COMPANY, OF FULTON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEV YORK.

BREECH=LOADING GUN.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 69 dated March 4, 1902- Application filed December 3,1900. $eria1 No. 38,457. (No model.)

To all 1071,0711 it inc/y concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. LEWIS, of Fulton, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Guns, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in breech-loading guns, and particularly to a mechanism for locking the fore-end piece to the barrel.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and practical means for preventing the accidental displacement of the fore-end piece, which means is-accessible for permitting the fore-end piece to be readily removed when desired.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts of a breech-loading gun, as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figu re 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a fore-end piece, the adjacent portions of the gun frame and barrel, and my improved locking mechanism for the fore-end piece. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the detached fore-end strap or tang seen in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are isometric views showing, respectively, a fragmentary portion of the locking-lug of the barrel and the movable locking member of the foreend piece.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

A and B represent, respectively, portions of the gun-stock and barrel-frame, the frame of the gun-stock being of the usual construction, provided with a hinge-pin a and aconcentric bearing-face a. The barrel B is provided with a depending lug b, having opposed engaging shoulders 1 and 2, the shoulder 1 be ing provided on the rear face of the lug b and the shoulder 2 being formed on the front face of said lug.

0 represents the fore-end piece, consisting of a metallic tang cand an inclosing body 0, to which the tang may be secured in any desired manner, as by the usual screws 3, Fig. 1. The rear end of the tang O is provided with an enlarged head havinga curved bearin g-face 4, interlocking with the bearing-face 1 of the gun-stock A for retaining the rearward end of the fore-end piece in proper relation to the gun-stock when the gun is either in its open or closed position.

Pivoted to the tang of the fore-end piece is a spring-actuated locking-lever 5, having its free end detachably engaged with the shoul- 6o der 1 of the lug b, the said locking-lever being held in position by a spring 6, having one end secured at 7 to the tang c and its other end engaged with the lower face of the locking-lever 5. The portion 0 of the fore-end piece is provided with an opening 8 for receiving the exposed portion of the locking member, presently'described. This locking member for holding the fore-end piece from accidental displacement preferably consists of an oscillatory arm 10, having one end pivoted at 11 to the tang c of the fore-end, piece and its other end extended downwardly through the opening 8 and provided with an exposed serrated face 12, adapted to be engaged by the hand of the operator. This locking member 10 is preferably arranged in front of the lug b and is provided with a locking-shoulder 13 between the pivot 11 and hand-engaging face 12, adapted to interlock with the shoulder 2 of the lug b for additionally holding the fore-end piece in its proper relation to the barrel B and gun-stock A. The shoulder 13 is normally held in engagement with the shoulder 2 by a suitable spring 15, interposed between the front face of the looking member 10 and the adjacent face of the tang c. The lower end of the locking member 10 is preferably elongated lengthwisely of the tang, its opposite ends being extended go beyond the front and rear walls of the opening 8. It is thus apparent that the locking members 5 and 10, being engaged with the opposite faces of the lug I), serve to positively hold the fore-end piece from accidental displacement and that when desired to. remove the fore-end piece it is simply necessary for the operator to engage the-serrated face 12 of the locking member 10 and rock said looking member forwardly a slight distance for Ice disengaging the shoulder 13 from the shoulder 2, whereupon said fore-end piece may be readily removed in the usual manner. WVhcn placing the fore-end piece in operative position, the locking member 10 is automatically rocked forwardly by the engagement of the shoulder 2 with the rear face of the locking member, and when said fore-end piece has been forced to the limit of its movement the spring 15 automatically forces the locking-shoulder13 into engagement with the shoulder 2.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that some change may be made in the detail construction of the parts of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with a barrel-lug having front and rear engaging shoulders, a foreend piece having a tang and an opening extending through the bottom face of the foreend piece, said tang having an opening to receive the lug, a rock-arm having its upper end pivoted to the tang in front of the lug and adapted to engage the front shoulder thereon, its lower face being extended across the opening in the lower wall of the fore-end piece and serrated for the purpose described, a spring engaging the rock-arm for forcing the same into engagement with the shoulder on the forward end of the lug and means detachably engaged with the shoulder on the rear of the lug for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of November, 1900.

GEORGE S. LEWIS.

\Vitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. N o'r'r. 

